A sewing circle is a group of people who meet regularly for the purpose of

sewing Sewing is the craft of fastening pieces of textiles together using a sewing needle and thread. Sewing is one of the oldest of the textile arts, arising in the Paleolithic era. Before the invention of spinning yarn or weaving fabric, archaeo ...

, often for charitable causes.

Application to sewing

Sewing circle participants, usually women, typically meet regularly for the purpose of sewing. They often also support charitable causes while chatting, gossiping, and/or discussing. For example, in ante-bellum America, local anti-slavery or missionary "sewing circles were complementary, not competing, organisations that allowed

omen An omen (also called ''portent'') is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the future, often signifying the advent of change. It was commonly believed in ancient history, and still believed by some today, that omens bring divine messages ...

to act on their concern for creating a more just and moral society". Other examples of sewing circles include the Fragment Society, the Mennonite Sewing Circle, and those organized by RMS ''Titanic'' survivor Emily Goldsmith aboard the rescue ship RMS ''Carpathia'': Goldsmith, "a talented seamstress, organized sewing circles to make garments out of cloth and blankets for those passengers dressed in nightclothes when they entered the lifeboats." During World War II, sewing circles were formed to help people "make do and mend" in response to

rationing in the United Kingdom Rationing was introduced temporarily by the British government several times during the 20th century, during and immediately after a war. At the start of the Second World War in 1939, the United Kingdom was importing 20 million long tons ...

. The Women's Voluntary Services organized sewing circles and classes during the war.

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

hosted sewing circles twice a week, with both palace staff and aristocrats attending. Apart from charitable purposes, contemporary sewing circles may be formed into organisations on a national level, such as the Guilds in Australia and America "for people who regard sewing as a creative and rewarding activity".

"Chew the rag"

It has been speculated that the phrase "chew the rag" could be related to gossiping while working in a sewing circle.Ammer, Christine (1997, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). "chew the fat." ''The American Heritage dictionary of idioms.'' Retrieved 2010-08-11

Application to sewing

"Chew the rag"

See also

References

Further reading